Updated tradition is the heart of this Honesdale home

HONESDALE, PA — Front-porch living is the star attraction of this home, along with a multitude of other gorgeous details that beg you to sit and stay awhile.

The house was listed by Davis R. Chant, Realtors.

The porch stretches the width of the house, and is bedecked in white balusters and spindles. Curvaceous white columns and sage-green brackets support the high porch roof. The roof itself is lined with decorative cutouts and tinier spindles that mimic the ones below, and a peak in the center of the porch roof sports an intricate design.

A dining set, seating area, and lounge could easily be staged in this space for a collection of outdoor “rooms” in which to enjoy summer breezes. Verdant vines trail from hanging baskets hooked to the upper spindles—those, along with the house’s perch high above Cottage Street, invite a treehouse feel.

Carefully designed perennial gardens flank the wide porch staircase, with a bluestone path leading to more stairs down to the street.

Enter the house via the sage-and-brown front door—notice the beautifully carved Eastlake door hardware, complete with a swinging keyhole cover, on the way in—and you’re greeted by a center-hall stairway. Above your head is a frosted-glass pendant that looks like a flower bud. It’s original to the house, which was built in 1900. It’s just a hint of the other treasures inside the house.

Bear right into a dining room that’s brightened by an oversized picture window that looks onto the porch. On the adjoining south-facing wall, a nearly floor-to-ceiling bay window allows more daylight to pour onto the original wood floors. A three-light chandelier hangs over the dining area, and a row of cleverly designed recessed lights illuminate the wall between the dining area and kitchen.

A white-trimmed doorway opens into a surprisingly large kitchen. Wooden cabinets and solid-surface countertops wrap around three sides at one end of the room. Like the dining room, sage green softly colors the walls. The kitchen is nearly as wide as the house, and has room for a chest freezer, pantry cabinet, a wide bench, a door to the full unfinished basement (which has Bilco doors to the outside) and another door that leads out to a small covered patio concealed by a stone wall.

A half-bath/laundry room has gray wainscoting on the lower half of the walls, with more of that beautiful sage above.

Return to the center hall and bear left instead of right to enter the living room. It’s a cozy space that’s big enough for a sectional and several other furniture pieces. Lots of (sage) wall space invites tons of pictures to hang, and two big windows assist the overhead fixture in brightening the room.

The stairs leading to the second floor are sturdy with a thick handrail. At the top, twin round newel posts anchor the spindled railing. The hall up here is roomy and bright, with original hardwood flooring and a big window facing the front of the house. At the opposite end of the hallway is a full bath with a single-sink vanity, tub/shower combo, and a floor-to-ceiling linen cabinet.

The four bedrooms up here are big and bright. Three of them have closets—an unusual feature in a house of this age. The doors all have that burnished, dark-wood sheen and ceramic doorknobs that old-home enthusiasts simply love. The rooms are all carpeted, but the original wood floors sleep beneath them. There’s a full, walk-up attic that’s perfect for storage, a playroom, or expanded living space with some renovation.

The house’s location high over the street enables seasonal views to Riverside Avenue and the Lackawaxen River beyond. It sits on a quarter-acre that’s prettily landscaped, with room for kids to romp and a nice firepit area along with lots of bluestone paths and garden spaces. This move-in-ready house is a lucky purchase for the next homeowner, who will be inheriting a legacy of beauty, history and love.